The present invention relates to waterbeds and more particularly to a retainer cap for use on the side rails and and foot rails.
Today water beds are in widespread use, in hotels, homes and motels. The frames employed to hold the water bag or mattress, include upstanding side and head and foot walls secured to a bottom wall. For the most part, such frames are made of 2 inch .times. 10 inch lumber. Such frames are manufactured around the country by different companies, many of whom are mentioned in Waterbed Retailer, a trade publication.
Waterbeds and waterbed frames are also known to the patent literature. Thus mention can be made of Weinstein et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,949; Hall U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,356 assigned to Innerspace Environments, Inc. and May, U.S. Pat. No. 3,838,470.
All of the frames of the prior art share one common difficulty, in that the edge of the bed unit is wood, and thus uncomfortable to sit on. The wood also makes getting into and out of the bed quite difficult. Attempts have been made to overcome this discomfort by padding the rail. However when this is done, other problems arise. When the liner is placed over the side rail and the upholstered wooden cap is forced over the liner causing a pressure or friction fit to hold the liner and cap in position, the liner tends to stretch and tear. The liner becomes nonuseable after caps are removed for any reason. This stretching and tearing of the liner by the cap's pressure can be eliminated by nailing a wooden strip to the side wall, just below the cap's normal position, to hold the liner in a vertical position as is siderail in a vertical position. However, there is a danger of nails, tacks, screws or other fastening devices becoming dislodged and causing failure in the main water mattress compartment. This is a problem well understood by the art.
The art then turned in another direction, namely to the use of rail caps. This would allow for conventional manufacture, but would also provide comfort. Such caps are U-shaped members made of wood, and covered on the outer surface with a fabric such as leather or vinyl. The inside dimension between the parallel portions is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the thckness of the side rail such that upon insertion upon the side rail, there is a friction fit such that the cap is retained in place. In actuality, however, the natural movement of the mattress tends to force the side and other rail caps upward and out of place, unless they are secured by the use of nails or screws which are placed through the side of the rail cap or end cap into the up-standing side or end rail to prevent removal from poor fit or water pressure. The cap's decorative covering must be punctured and the presence of screws or nail heads creates a possibility of puncture to the main water mattress, or holes in the liner if such is placed under cap member. Indeed, possible injury to one's hands may occur when inserting bedding beneath the cap from the screws or nail heads. Also due to close tolerances, it is difficult for the homeowner to insert the liner between the cap and rail without stretching or tearing the protective liner to prevent should one desire its relocation.
The present invention is seen to overcome the foregoing and other advantages of prior art water bed frame constructions.